Review of Tower Heist (2011) by Jonny B — 23 Aug 2012

Brett Ranter's fast paced comedy clearly shows Stiller hasn't gone stale and Murphy is still marching despite their age.

I personally believe Ben Stiller is an excellent actor in generally whatever he does. For example, in Night at the Museum he is casually witty and understanding whereas in Dodgeball, he is a hilarious control freak.

In Tower Heist, Stiller's portrayal follows more of the former description; he is a witty but understanding and sensitive character. He is plotting a scheme of revenge against his former tenant Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) who has conned him and many of his working friends out of their pensions. He devises a plan to free crook Slide (Eddie Murphy) from prison and use his intellectual understanding of crime to expose Shaw's true colours.

Also starring in the plot to expose Shaw are Casey Afleck as Charlie, Michael Pena as Enrique and Gabourey Sidibe as Odessa. Each of them fulfill their roles respectably and add to the wit and chemistry between Murphy and Stiller.

To conclude, I would state that even if you don't find Tower Heist funny at all, it would still be worth a watch for the fact you will be cheering on Stiller's crew to bring justice to a fraud cheat. Also, Tower Heist plays out like a crime thriller on occasions, particularly as it comes towards a climax so there is more here than just humour. Certainly worth watching.